In response to growing environmental and public safety concerns following recent maritime accidents, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has announced the launch of a dedicated web application by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA). The app is designed to track and document debris on land and at sea linked to ongoing shipwreck investigations.
The newly launched platform provides a public interface for citizens to report sightings of floating or washed-ashore objects, believed to be connected to the Singapore-flagged container vessel Wan Hai 503, which caught fire off the Beypore coast on 9 June. Users can submit details including their name, contact number, a description of the object, nearby landmarks and photographs.
So far, 65 containers from Wan Hai 503 have been found along Kerala’s coastline. Among them, 21 barrels were retrieved from Vizhinjam and Kovalam in Thiruvananthapuram district and transferred to secure storage at Vizhinjam port. Two more barrels were discovered in Alappad (Kollam district) and Kumbala Koippadi (Kasaragod district), raising alarm over possible environmental hazards.
Also read: High alert along Kerala coastline as Singapore vessel poses risks
The vessel has now been relocated 57 nautical miles from the coast, though firefighting efforts continue as smoke is still emanating from the ship. Authorities warn that further containers may wash ashore in the coming days, particularly along the southern stretches of Ernakulam, Alappuzha and Kollam districts.
The Indian Coast Guard has urged the public to remain cautious and avoid contact with any suspicious objects. People are advised to stay at least 200 metres away and to report sightings by dialling the emergency helpline 112.
This development follows another maritime disaster off the Kerala coast on 25 May. The MSC ELSA 3, a Liberian-flagged vessel, sank 14.6 nautical miles off the Thottappalli spillway. The vessel was transporting 640 containers, including 13 categorised as hazardous—among them 12 containing calcium carbide—and large quantities of diesel (84.44 metric tonnes) and furnace oil (367.1 metric tonnes), prompting a major pollution response from the Indian Coast Guard.
The SDMA’s digital initiative is being hailed as a key step towards streamlining citizen participation in disaster response and minimising the risks posed by hazardous coastal debris.
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